Roller side bearing.



N0. 708,60! Patented Sept. 9, I902.

J. C. WANDS.

ROLLER SIDE BEARING.

[Application filed Nov. 8, 1901.1 (No Model.)

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75: Noam PETERS c9 PNOTO-LITHQ. WASHINOYDN u, c.

N 0 N O N W N UNITED STATES JOHN C. WANDS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROLLER SIDE BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,601, datedSeptember 9, 1902.

Application filed November 8, 1901. Serial No. 81,585. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. WANDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Roller Side Bearings, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which Figure l is a top plan view of my improvedroller side bearing. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, and Fig. 3 is avertical cross-sectional view.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in side bearingsfor railwaycars, the object being to construct a device of the characterdescribed in a simple and cheap manner, the device in operation affording an efficient antifriction-bearing capafor returning the antifrictiondevices to a central position. These springs, however, have not been inthe form of opposing springs-that is, the central or normal position ofthe antifriction device has not been the result of equilibrium beingestablished between the springs, but rather follows from the springswhen at home being confined between two stationary abutments. One ofthese stationary abutments when the antifriction device is shifted ineither direction is lifted so as to compress the spring in advancethereof and store powerin said spring to restore the antifriction deviceto its cen tral or normal position, when the same is released and thespring is free to act. It is evident from the above that the springwhich is behind (not in advance of) the antifriction device isnotcompressed or permitted to expand. On the contrary, it is held in a setor static condition between its stationary abutments, which conditionprevails until the antifriction device is moved in the oppositedirection, when the first-mentioned spring will be left in a staticcondition, while the spring under consideration will become Prior to mypresent invention roller side bearings have been constructed withsprings the advance spring and be compressed. A construction respondingto the above description is shown and described in United States LettersPatent No. 590,286, granted to me September 21, 1897.

In my present invention the springs which restore the antifrictiondevice to its central or normal position are whatI term opposingsprings, and by this I mean springs whose energies are exerted inopposite directions and whose opposing energies are exerted against themovement of the antifriction device, so as to establish a position ofequilibrium with respect to said antifriction device when the same isnot operatively shifted. hen the antifriction device is shifted ineither direction, the spring in advance of the movement thereof iscompressed, while the spring at the rear is permitted to expand, and-tothe extent of its energy the rear spring counteracts the opposition ofthe advance spring, so that the antifriction device can be shifted withgreat freedom-that is, it is more sensitive to lateral movement than inthe case of my former atent.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterwardpointed out in the claims.

, In the drawings, lindicates aplate, preferably made of hard metal,which plate serves as a track-plate for the antifriction device.

2 indicates a guide-bracket separable from the plate, said guidebrackethaving an overhang 3 for cooperating with the frame of the antifrictiondevice.

4 indicates a guide-bracket formed with an overhang 5 and with anopening, through which passes the spring guiding-rod. Both of thesebrackets 2 and 4; have perforated lugs or ears, through which pass thesecuring screws or bolts, said screws or bolts securing the bearing inposition. The track-plate is provided with openings, which register withthe openings in the lugs or ears referred to, and in the event thatholes have to be bored or drilled into the truck-bolster which is toreceive my improved side hearing this trackplate serves as a templet.

6 indicates a frame formed on one side with a fin or web 7 ,whichcooperates with the guiding-bracket 2. At the corners of the oppositeside are projections S, which support a rod 9, around which are coiledexpansionsprings 10, said springs bearing at their outer ends againstthe projections 8 on the frame containing the antifriction devices andat their inner ends against the guide-bracket 4, which afford fixedabutments for said springs. Frame 6 is also provided with a guiding finor web 11, which cooperates with the overhang 5.

' 12 indicates spindles loosely journaled in the frame, upon whichspindles areloosely arranged rollers 13, said rollers overlapping eachother and being grouped or nested, as shown. I prefer a group of rollersat each end of the frame, between which are intermediatesupporting-rollers,whereby when the antifriction device is in servicemovement in either direction will bring all of the rollers of an endgroup into operative position. It will be noticedthat the antifrictiondevice extends slightly beyond the track-plate at the sides, this lengthresulting from the fact that advantage is taken of the use of twocenteringsprings on the rod 9, one of said springs in the event that theantifriction device is shifted being depended upon to restore the deviceto a central position. As the springs should not in practice becompressed to such an extent as to affect their resiliency, it followsthat long springs are desirable, and this length is taken advantage ofto provide the two groups of rollers, one of which will be thrown out ofservice shortly after the commencement of movement of the antifrictiondevice, and thus the group of rollers in service will be theonessubjected to wear. In this manner the life of the bearing isconsiderably increased. Both springs in practice are compressed beforebeing placed in position, and consequently their energies are opposed toeach other, and upon such energies becoming counterbalanced a positionof equilibriumisestablished withrespect to the rollerframe, and in thisWay the central or normal position of the antifriction device isdetermined, and as the antifriction device is shifted in eitherdirection the spring in advance thereof is compressed to a greaterextent, While the companion springis permitted to expand. The saidcompanion springcounteracts the spring under excess compression inproportion to the extent of its energy, and therefore the roller-frameand its contained antifriction devices yield more readily to lateralpressure, and said roller-frame is consequently more sensitive inaccommodating itself and its contained antifriction devices to themovement of the cooperating bearing member without offering undueresistance. The spindles, upon which the rollers are loosely mounted,are preferably introduced in sockets at one side of the frame, theopposite end of the spindle being dropped into recesses in the oppositeside of the frame and held in position by a plate 14.

In an application filed by me on or about June 21, 1901, seriallynumbered 65,415, I have shown and described a roller side bearing inwhich the frame and its contained antifriction devices cooperate withopposing springs acting to hold said parts in a central or normalposition upon the establishment of equilibrium between said springs. Inthe other application referred to I have not, broadly, claimed opposingsprings cooperating with the frame and its contained antifrictiondevices, as above described, reserving that right for this application.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is- I 1. In a side bearing forcars, the combination with an antifriction device, of a rod carriedthereby, and a restoring-spring arranged on said rod; substantially asdescribed.

2. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice, of a rod carried thereby, a fixed guide for said rod, and arestoring-spring arranged on said rod between said fixed guide and theantifriction device; substantially as described.

3. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice, of a rod carried thereby, a fixed guide for said rod, andsprings arranged on said rod at each side of the fixed guide;substantially as described.

4. In a side bearing for cars, the combination of an antifrictiondevice, a frame in which the same is mounted, and opposing springsarranged at the side, and in the horizontal plane of said frame forcentering the same and its carried antifriction device; substantially asdescribed.

5. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice, of a guide therefor, and opposing springs arranged at the side,and in the horizontal plane of said antifriction device, for cooperatingwith said guide at their outer ends and with the antifriction device attheir inner ends; substantially as described.

6. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice provided with lateral guiding-fins, of guide-brackets cooperatingwith said fins, and restoring-springs arranged at one side of saidantifriction device; substantially as described.

7. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice, of laterallyextending guiding-fins, guide-brackets cooperatingwith said fins, and opposing springs for restoring said antifrictiondevice, said springs being seated against one of said guiding-brackets;substantially as described.

8. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice, of laterallyextending guiding-fins, guide-brackets coop- IOCerating with said fins, a rod carried by said antifriction device andpassing through one of said guide-brackets, and springs arranged on eachend of said rod and seated against said guide-bracket; substantially asdescribed.

9. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a track-plate, of anantifriction device and separable guide-brackets therefor, saidguide-brackets having integral overhangs; substantially as described.

10. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a shiftable frame,and separated groups of an tifriction. devices carried by said frame;substantially asdescribed.

11. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a shiftable' frame,of separated groups of antifriction devices carried at the ends of saidframe, whereby when one of said groups is in service the other ispartially or entirely out of service, and resilient means for restoringsaid shiftable frame and its antifriction devices to acentral positionafter op- 'eration; substantially as described.

12. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a shiftable frame,of a track-plate, and separated groups of rollers'in the end of theframe; substantially as described.

1 13. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a tracleplate, ofa shiftable frame carrying separated groups of. rollers at its ends, oneof which groups is designed to be in service While the other is whollyor partially out of service, and a centering device for said frame;substantially as described.

14. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a track-plate, of ashiftable frame, spindles arranged in separated groups at the ends ofsaid frame, and rollers loosely mountdial spindle provided with rollers;substantially as described.

17. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with an antifrictiondevice, of springs exerting their energies in opposite directions forreturning the antifriction device to a central position after operation;substantially 'as described.

18. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a frame containingantifriction devices, of opposing springs for centering the same;substantially as described.

19. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a reciprocatoryantifriction device,

and opposing springs acting to center said antifriction device;substantially as described.

20. In a side bearing forcars, the combination with a reciprocatoryantifriction device, and opposing springs arranged to extend parallelwith the direction of movement of said antifriction devices and actingtocenter the same; substantially as described.

21. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a reciprocatoryantifriction device comprising a roller-carriage and aplnrality ofantifriction-rollers caged therein, and opposing springs arranged tocenter saidcarriage; substantially as described.

22. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a reciprocatoryantifriction device comprising a carriage and a plurality of rollerelements caged therein to maintain definite relation to the carriage, abase upon which said carriage travels, and opposing springs acting tocenter said carriage relatively to its length of travel across the base;substantially as described.

In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a frame containingantifriction devices, and opposing springs which bear at one of theirends against said frame and attheir other ends against fixed abutments,whereby, the normal position of said frame is determined by theestablishment of equilibrium between said springs; substantially asdescribed.

24:. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a track-plate, ofa frame containing antifriction devices, which frame is designed totraverse said track-plate, opposing springs, the ends of which areseated against said frame, and abutments against which the opposite endsof said springs are seated, Whereby the frame is returned to a normal orcentral position by the establishment of equilibrium between saidsprings; substantially as described.

25. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a frame containingantifriction devices, and coiled expansion-springs jointly engaging saidframe in all of its positions and acting to restore said frame to acentral position; substantially as described.

26. In a side bearing for cars, the combination with a frame containingantifriction devices in the form of rollers, and coiledexpansion-springs under compression at all times and in all positions ofsaid frame, said springs separately acting to restore the frame to acentral position, or a position of equilibrium by the preponderatingpressure of one spring over the other; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 6th day of November, 1901.

JOHN C. WANDS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE BAKEWE'LL, G. A. PENNINGTON.

